Krall delivered.
In a feat of hitting that would have made Kirk Gibson proud, Krall turned on a 2-1 fastball and hit a frozen rope deep over the left center field fence. The Jeffs finally got the hit they needed and, in a week that saw the Jeffs go four for five, including a three-game sweep over Wesleyan, it could not have come at a better time.
The Jeffs dropped their first game of the week on Wednesday afternoon against Keene State College 13-9, falling to 9-8 on the season. With two outs in the top of the ninth frame, the Jeffs led the Owls 9-7. The bases were loaded for Keene State and when second baseman John Brody '02 could not handle a ground ball for Amherst, the floodgates opened. A hit batter, care of Duncan Webb '04, and three singles followed as Keene State scored six runs in the inning, before a ground ball to Krall finally ended the onslaught. Keene State pitcher Lavatori then struck out the side to give Amherst its eighth loss of the season.
Amherst rebounded brilliantly from the Keene State debacle, beating fellow Western Mass opponent Westfield State 25-9. The Jeffs knocked out a season 25 hits while routing their enemies by 16 runs in the largest victory for Amherst this season.
The Jeffs went into the sixth inning leading 6-4 after scoring three runs in the fourth on a double by Co-captain Dave Siegle '01 and a two run single by DH Joe Katuska '03. Then with no outs in the sixth, the Jeffs added nine runs to their total before Westfield finally put down the Amherst attack.
The Jeffs then added three runs in the seventh, another three in the eighth, and four in the ninth. The game saw 15 different Amherst batters divide 52 at-bats and combine for 23 RBIs. Siegle led the team, going four for five with five RBIs and two doubles. Fran Morales '04 also stepped up big time for the Jeffs in his seventh appearance of the season, going three for three with four RBIs. Pitchers Dave Krauser '02, Chris Vecsey '03 and Jake Kahn '03 combined to give Amherst its 10th win of the season.
On Saturday, the Jeffs played the front end of a double-header against Wesleyan and the first game of a three-game series. Head Coach Bill Thurston called on ace Jeff Leduc '02 to take the Jeffs to victory. For the fourth time this season, Leduc pitched Amherst to a win, throwing a complete game. The only hits for the visiting Cardinals in the game were a first inning double and single.
A jaw-dropping play by center fielder John Schneider '03, back for only his 10th game of the season after suffering a pre-season ankle injury, saved Leduc from early damage. He then retired 18 of the next 20 batters he faced-including seven strikeouts-to improve to 4-0 on the season with a 2.01 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings of work. RBI singles from catcher J.R. Drabick '02 and Siegle in the fifth and sixth innings were all the Jeffs needed to inch past Wesleyan.
The first game could be considered a pitcher's duel, the sometimes-rare event in baseball when two hurlers dominate the entire game and face each other as individuals. The second act, however, was a thrilling display of two talented teams going at each other head on, every engine firing for a win.
After falling behind 7-0 in the top of the third to the Cardinals despite giving up only two hits, the Jeffs needed to create some offense. Their answer came via Schneider, who belted a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the third for Amherst. The Jeffs then climbed back, scoring four runs in the inning on singles from Jarret Solomon '03 and Ryan Whitmarsh '01.
After giving up two more in the next half inning, the Jeffs would have to wait until the fifth frame to have their revenge. A two-out balk scored Siegle from third, bringing up Krall. Krall promptly answered his team's call with a two-run homer. Drabick then singled home Schneider to tie things up at nine. To add to the dramatics, Co-captain Kevin Downes '01 took the mound to close things out for Amherst. He pitched three scoreless innings of relief and gained his first win of his injury-plagued season. His efforts were aided by a two-run dong from Drabick and a stellar defensive play in left field from Siegle. With nobody out in the top of the eighth ining, Cardinal cleanup hitter Dave Bushnell blasted a ball deep to left. To most of the game's onlookers the shot looked headed for Memorial Hill, but a fortuitous bounce off the top of the fence left the ball rolling back toward the infield.
Siegle promptly scooped up the stray potato and, in a fit of athletic prowess that was reminiscent of Seattle Mariner rookie Ichiro Suzuki gunning down Terrence Long of the Oakland Athletics, Siegle fired a bullet to Whitmarsh at third base as Bushnell slid into the out. Although Wesleyan was able to muster two runs in the bottom of the ninth, Downes held off the Cardinal attack, and Amherst improved to 12-8 on the season.
Although Wesleyan starter Mike Martinez allowed only one run in seven innings, Amherst was able to overcome early setbacks to take home the win. With the victory the Jeffs improved to 4-1 in the NESCAC West Division and moved into second place behind Williams College (2-0).
In four and one-third innings of work, relief pitcher Krauser held the Cardinals to only one run and allowed late-inning heroics to take home the victory for Amherst. With two outs in the top of the eighth, Whitmarsh put the hurt on with his fourth home run of the season, a two-run blast. In the ninth, Siegle drove in what proved to be the winning run as Amherst held on for the win, with Krauser striking out Dave Bushnell to end the game.
The Jeffs will play Trinity College and Brandeis University this Wednesday and Thursday at home before venturing off to Williamstown to meet the Ephs for a doubleheader this Saturday. The Ephs are tops in the division so far this year, led by a powerful offense, but if the Jeffs continue to play the way they have been playing, these games will be well within their grasp.
On Sunday, the Jeffs will return home to play the third game of the series against Williams in what will be the most important game of the season for both teams. The winner not only gains in the division race, but will also take home the Little III crown.